Draft-rigging for cars.



No. 763,998. PATENTED JULY 5, 1904,v

A. C. MGGORD.

DRAFT RIGGING POR GARS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 23, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 763,998. PATBNTED JULY 5, i904. A. 0. MGGORD.

DRAFT RIGGING POR. GARS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 1904.

N0 MODEL.. 4 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

No. 763,998- PATE'NTED JULY 5, 1904,

' A. C. MUCORD.

DRAFT RIGGING FOB. GARS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23 1904.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETB-SHEET 4.

ivo. 763,998.

:Patented July V5, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ALVIN CARR MCCORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-HIGGING FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,998, dated July 5, 1904.

Application filed February 23, 1904:. Serial No. 194,625. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN CARR MCCORD, al

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging for Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its especial object to provide an improved draft-rigging for railway-cars and similar apparatus, but relates, broadly, to improved means for cushion- 'ng the movements of relatively movable memers.

In the construction of draft-rigging for cars it has hitherto been customary to connect the draftbar of the coupler to the car -body through the intervention of one or more springs directly applied between the draft-bar and some stationary member of the car-body. In practice it has been found that the maximum movement from normal position which can be advantageously allowed to the draftbar is approximately two inches. spring or springs when applied in this manner must be strong enough to directly resist the most intense draft and bumping strains under a compression of two inches or less, or, in other words, under a compression not in excess of the draft-bar movement. As is evident, a spring or springs of such strength will have but very little elasticity under comparatively light strains and will afford an eiiicient cushion only to comparatively heavy strains or impacts. Furthermore, even under heavy blows or impacts a perfect cushioning action is not afforded because of the considerable force required to impart an initial movement to the spring or springs.

In my pending application, Serial No. 93,403, tiled February l0, 1902, entitled Draft-rigging, I show and claim a construction wherein a multiplying-lever is interposed between the draft-bar of the coupling and the cushioningspring in such manner that the spring will be given a compressing movementwhich is materially greater than the movement given to the draft-bar, thus increasing the cushioning Hence a power of the spring and permitting the use of a lighter spring than could be used under the old arrangement wherein the force was applied directly to the spring. In that construction, however, the spring-compressing force is transmitted through the interposed multiplying-lever under a iixed and unchanging ratio or multiplied leverage. Otherwise stated, with the 4arrangement shown in the drawings of said prior application the cushioningspring is compressed under a decreased leverage and increased movement relative to the movement of the draft-bar of approximately three to one, so that the cushioning power of the spring is multiplied about three times. In my present invention I go much further than in my said pending application and not only provide means whereby the spring-compressing movement and cushioning power of the spring are increased, but Ifurther provide means whereby thespring-compressing movement and cushioning power of the spring are differentially increased. More specifically stated, in the preferred arrangement of my invention, as illustrated in the drawings of this application, I provide means whereby under movements of the draft-bar from normal position the excess of spring compressing movement over that of the draft-bar increases from zero and is accelerated until such springcompressing movement has been multiplied or several times4 increased over that of the draft-bar, thus correspondingly increasing the cushioning power of the spring. By this arrangement there is aforded a cushion which is extremely sensitive to light blows or impacts and which under heavy blows or impacts iirst offers a comparatively light resistance thereto and then overcomes the same with a differentially increased or accelerated cushioning power.

In carrying out my present invention in its most approved form I employ differential or variable power-levers, which under springcompressing and spring-reacting movements have sliding frictional engagement with each other and with cooperating cam lugs or abutments. This sliding and frictional engagement between the differential levers and cooperatingparts affords a spring-dampening ac- IOO tion which retards somewhat the action of the springs and prevents sudden recoil of the spring or backlash thereof. By preventing sudden recoil or backlash of the springs of the several draft-ri ggin gs of atrain surging of the cars is obviated.

The above remarks made with respect to draft-riggings will apply with equal force to a great many other of the many possible applications of my invention to cushioning devices.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indi cate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, showing my invention incorporated in a draft-rigging, some parts being broken away. Fig. 2 isa view partly in side elevation and partly in section on the line m2 a? of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line w" fr of Fig. 1, some parts being removed. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line m4 of Fig. 2, some parts being left in full plan view. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through the draft-rigging on the line x5 x5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section on the irregular line al fr of Fig. 3; and Figs. 7 and 8 are views corresponding to Fig. 3, but illustrating different positions of the parts.

The coupler draft-bar 1, only a portion of which is shown, is provided with the ordinary yoke or stirrup 2. As shown, spacing-blocks 3 are interposed between the prongs of the yoke 2 and the rectangular inner end head of the draft-bar, heavy rivets 4 being passed through the said parts to rigidly unite them. Also, as shown, a reinforcingbar 5 is riveted to the vertically-extended inner end portion of the yoke 2. In the illustration given the draft-lugs or follower-abutments 6 are formed on draft-plates 7, which in turn are rigidly secured to thedraft-timbers 8 by means of bolts 9. Followers 10 coperate with the draft-lugs 6 and are guided in the usual way by flanges of the draft-plates 7. r1`he yoke 2 embraces the intermediate portions of the followers 1O and of course works between the draft-plates 7. The frontor forward follower 10 is provided with a supplemental section in the form of a casing 11, having at its lefthand extremity projecting angular anges 12, that embrace the said follower. These anges 12 normally bear directly against the abutting end or head of the draft-bar 1, and, further, they serve to cause the said follower and its supplemental section 11 to travel together under bumping strains. At its sides the casing or supplemental follower 11 is formed with vertically and longitudinally extended pockets 13 and with detachable plates 14, the latter of which are held in place by short nutted bolts 15. The plates 14 when removed open up the sides of the pockets 13. Vithin each pocket 13 are several (as shown two) so- Acalled differential power-transmission levers 16 17, which are held in frictional contact with each other. The levers 16 are pivoted at their upper ends and the levers 17 are pivoted at their lower ends. All four of the said levers at their pivot-points are formed with hub-like projections 18, that t seats formed in part in the shell 11 and in part in the 'detachable plates 14. The casing 11 and the plates 14 afford a lever carrier or support for the differential levers 16 17. As is evident, thelevers 16 17 may be readily removed when the plates 14 are removed, but are securely held in working positions when the said plates are clamped in working positions. The rear follower 10 near its ends is provided with thrust-lugs or lever-abutments 19, that project into the pockets 13 and press against the outer edges of the corresponding levers 16.

Working loosely and telescopically within the casing 11 is a so-called secondary follower 20, which, as shown, is approximately cylindrical in form, and at its outer end is formed with a head 20, that normally bears against the rearfollower 10. This secondary follower 20, as will hereinafter appear, is adapted to move with respect to and out of engagement with said rear follower 10.

A strong coiled cushioning-spring 21, made up of concentric coils, as shown, is located within the housing afforded by the shell 11 and secondary follower 2O and -is compressed directly between the front follower 10 and the head 2Oa of the said seconda-ry follower 20. The tension of the spring 21 tends to hold the parts in the normal relative positions. (Shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, `and 4.) As shown, the front fol-lower 10 is provided with a rearwardly-projecting stud 22, 'and the head of the supplemental follower 2O is provided with a centrally-projecting hub 23, which parts 22 and 23 cooperate to hold the spring 21 in position and to prevent the coils of the spring from being jammed together under extreme movements of the followers toward each other. At its inner end the secondary follower 20 is formed with laterally-projecting lever abutments or lugs `24, that work through longitudinally-eXtended passages 25 and 26, formed, respectively, in the sides of the shell 11 and in the detachable plates 14. These abutments 24 directly engage with the differential levers 17, as best shown in Figs. 3, 7, and 8; but note also Figs. 4 and 5. In Figs. 3, 7, and 8 the heavy dotted lines marked 6 indicate the relative positions of the operative faces of the draft-lugs or follower-abutments 6.

Operation: As already stated, the lparts of the draft rigging normally stand as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the head of the secondary follower 2O is normally pressed against the rear end follower 10, and by reference to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the abut- IOO IIO

'veaees ments 2li are normally pressed against the rear end extremities of the slots 25 and 26. Again, by reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that normally the points of contact between the differential levers 16 17, between the differential levers 16 and the abutments or lugs 19. and between the differential levers `17 and y the abutments 24 are in a horizontal plane midway between the fulcrums 18 of the said levers 16 17, so that at this time the said differential levers serve to transmit the strains applied thereto to the cushioning-spring 21 as if directly applied to the said spring' by a movement of one of the primary followers 10. The initial movement of one of the said followers 10 acting on the differential levers will, however, immediately change these conditions, as will be observed by reference to Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 7 illustrates the position of the parts when the rear follower 10 has been given a forward movement under a draft strain which has caused the abutments 19 to engage the differential levers 16 at points higher up than in Fig. 3, so that the effective leverage or spring-compressing force transmit-ted through the said levers 16 has been reduced about one -half and the movement then being' transmitted through the said levers has been about doubled. The obvious eect of this decreased leverage and increased or accelerated spring-compressing movement, transmitted through the levers 17 to the abutments 211, is to cause the secondary follower 2O to move away from and in advance of the rear follower 10. This movement is clearly illustrated in Fig. 7, and by reference to said view it will be further noted that the abutments 24 have moved forward from the rear extremities of the slots 25 26 equal to the distance which said rear follower 10 has moved away from the operative faces 6L of the rear-follower abutments 6 plus the distance which the rear end of the secondary follower` 2O has moved away from the said rear follower 10. Under the movements above noted the forward follower 10 and the lever-support afforded by the casing 11 and plates 141 remain stationary. It is of course evident that under the above-noted movement of the levers 16 17 a gradually-accelerated or differential movement is transmitted to the secondary follower 2O and to the spring 21 and, furthermore, that the said levers can move one upon the other and upon their cooperating abutments 19 and 24 only by a sliding frictional contact, such as will afford the spring dampening or retarding action. Again, it is evident that under the above-noted movements of the parts, imparted thereto by draft strains, the cushioning-spring 21 was compressed by a movement imparted thereto only at its rear end. Fig. 8 illustrates the relative positions of the parts when the draft-bar, un- -4 der a bumping strain, has been given a rearward movement equal to the forward movement imparted to the draft-bar when moved forward, as illustrated in Fig. 7. Under such rearward movement of the draft-bar the rear follower 10 remains stationary-that is, in contact with the rear-follower abutment while the forward follower 10 and the leversupport 11 14 are moved rearward. Under this rearward movement of the said parts 10, 11, and 14 the lever-fulcrums 18 are moved rearward, and the dierential levers 16 17 are rocked with respect to their cooperating abutments 19 and 241, substantially as before described in connection with Fig. 7. Such movements of the differential levers 16 17 in all cases causes the abutments 24 to move forward and assume a position a greater distance from the abutments 19. Hence even under rearward movements of the draft-bar the rear end of the secondary follower 2O moves forward and away from the rear follower 10. This being the case, it follows that under bumping strains the cushioning-spring 21 is compressed by movements imparted thereto at both ends. However, the amount of compression given to the spring under a given movement of the draft-bar is the same regardless of the direction in which the said draft bar is moved. That this is so will be observed by noting that in Fig. 8 the' abutments 24 have separated from the inner extremities of the slots 25 26 the same distance as in Fig. 7 and that this distance is equal to the distance which the follower flanges 12 have moved from the operative faces 6a of the forward draft-lugs 6 plus the distance which the rear end of the secondary follower 2O has moved away from the rear follower 10. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate positions which the various movable parts assume when the draftbar is moved approximately one-half its possible maximum distance from its normal position.' and Linder such movements the differential spring-compressing movement is produced almost entirely by the shifting points of contact between the abutments 19 and the levers 16. Under further movements from normal position of thedraft-bar in either direction, however, the differential -levers 17 will be moved into positions in which they will coperate with said lever 16 to further increase or accelerate the spring-compressing movement transmitted therethrough. Hence it will be seen that while a differentially increasing or accelerated spring-compressing movement is possible with a single differential lever or with a single pair of differential levers nevertheless a plurality of such differential levers or a plurality of pairs thereof is important. The said dierential levers may of course be disposed in a great many dierent ways. By placing them in pairs on the opposite sides of the cushioning-spring the distance between the followers is reduced to a minimum and need be no greater than in the standard draft-rigging, wherein the said IOO l to wit, as illustrated, between the rear follower 10 and its secondary follower or supplemental section 1l. This is one extremely efcient way of arranging the parts, so that under normal conditions a differentially increasing spring-compressing movement will be imparted to the cushioning-spring through said levers, but in case of disablement of said levers or removal thereof the spring-compressing force will be transmitted directly to the spring, the same as in standard draft-rigging construction.

The cushioning-spring illustrated is treated as a single spring, although, as shown, it is made up of several concentric coils. It might, however, be made up of a single coil or it might be made up of a plurality of coils otherwise disposed. In fact, the so-called cushioning-spring might take any desirable form and from a broad point of view might be any suitable resilient device.

From what has been said it will therefore be understood that this invention is generic in its character, and hence capable of a very large range of modification in its details of construction and arrangement of parts, as well as in its applications and uses.

v Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with members to be cushioned, of a cushioning-spring, and one or more differential levers operating differentially to increase the cushioning power of said spring, under the strain applied thereto.

2. The combination with members to be cushioned, of a cushioning-spring, and one or more differential levers operating differentially to increase the length of the spring-cushioning movement, under the strain applied thereto.

3. The combination with members to be cushioned, of a cushioning-spring and one or more differential levers operating differentiall y both to increase the length of the springs cushioning movement and to increase its cushioning power, under strains applied thereto.

a. The combination with members to be cushioned, of a cushioning-spring and one or more differential levers operating to increase the cushioning power of said spring proportional to the increase of strain applied thereto, substantially as described.

5. The combination with members to be cushioned, of a cushioning-spring and several pairs of differential levers operating to increase the cushioning power of said spring', substantially as described.

6. The combination with members to be cushioned, of a cushioning-spring and several differential levers operating to increase the cushioning power of said spring, and so related as to have a sliding frictional contact with each other, under the movements which vary the leverage thereof, thereby affording a spring-dampening action, substantially as described.

7. The combination with members to be cushioned, of a cushioning-spring and one 01' more differential levers normally operating differentially to increase the cushioning power of the spring, under the strain applied thereto, but with said parts soy arranged that upon said lever or levers, becoming disabled, the strain will be transmitted directly to said spring, substantially as described.

8. In a draft-rigging, the combination with follower-abutments, a draft-bar and coperating followers, of' a cushioning-spring and one or more differential` levers operating differentially to increase the springs cushioning power, under movements of said draft-bar in respect to said follower-abutments` substantially as described.

9. In a draft-rigging, the combination with fixed follower-abutments, a draft-bar and cooperating followers, of a spring interposed between said followers, and one or more differential levers interposed between said spring and one of said followers, with the said parts so arranged that the spring compressing movement will be transmitted through said lever orlevers, under normal conditions, but will be transmitted directly from said followers to said spring in case said lever or levers are disabled, substantially as described.

10. The combination with members to be cushioned, of a secondary follower interposed between said members, a cushioning-spring interposed between said secondary follower and one of the said members to be cushioned, and one or more differential levers interposed between said secondary follower and the other of the said members to be cushioned, substantially as described.

l1. rIhe combination with members to be cushioned, one thereof having a lever-support, and the other having4 laterally-spaced leverabutments, of a secondary follower interposed between the said members to be cushioned, and provided with oppositely-projecting lever-abutments, differential levers fulcrumed to the said lever-support of the one member, and interposed between the said laterallyspaced abutments of the said other member and the abutments of said supplemental follower, and a cushioning-spring interposed between said supplemental follower and the said lmember having the said lever-support, substantially as described.

12. In a draft-rigging, the combination with IZO fixed follower-abutments and coperating primary followers, one of said followers having a'lever-support, and the other of said followers having laterally-spaced lever-abutments, of a secondary follower interposed between said primary followers, and provided with oppositely-projecting lever-abutments, differential levers fulcrumed to the said lever-support, and interposed between the abutments of said secondary follower and the abutments of said abutment-equipped primary follower, a cushioning-spring interposed between said secondary follower and the said primary follower having the said lever-support, and a draft-bar having a yoke embracing the said followers and arranged to act upon one of the primary followers under bumping strains, and on the other primary follower under draft strains, substantially as described.

13. The combination with members to be cushioned, of a cushioning-spring' and several levers operating to increase the cushioning` power of said spring, said levers having sliding frictional contact with cooperating engaging parts, thereby affording a spring-dampening action, substantially as described.

14. The combination with members to be cushioned, of a cushioning-spring'and one or more levers operating to increase the cushioning power of said spring, under strains applied thereto, but with said parts so arranged that upon said lever or levers becoming disabled or removed, the strain will be transmitted directly to said spring, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN CARR MCooRD.

Witnesses:

B. A. MIDDLEKAUFF, W. T. TURNEY. 

